Hi All,

I'm working on a low-end, mobile home rental property. The water heater
sprang a leak sometime in the past and destroyed 100+ sq ft of particle
board flooring.

Ripping up the ancient carpeting reveals that the pad and carpet were the
originals and were installed on bare particle board. No previous
flooring was noted.

My natural tendency is to put down linoleum. This this would have the
added benefit of waterproofing the particleboard decking and be easier to
clean. Unfortunately, in the last decade, we are getting significant
numbers of rentals with torn and ripped linoleum. Another part of me
wants to glue down some indoor/outdoor carpet. So .... given that this
unit has poor, sometimes destructive tenants ..... what's the best long
wearing, indestructible flooring I can put down?

On May 15, 8:24*am, David Moore wrote:
Hi All,

I'm working on a low-end, mobile home rental property. *The water heater
sprang a leak sometime in the past and destroyed 100+ sq ft of particle
board flooring.

Ripping up the ancient carpeting reveals that the pad and carpet were the
originals and were installed on bare particle board.

If carpet has lasted so long that it can be called ancient,
then apparently the tenants were not all that destructive,
so I don't see the reluctance to use carpet again. If it's
a mobile home, it's not that much carpet and won't cost
that much to replace when necessary.




*No previous
flooring was noted.

My natural tendency is to put down linoleum. *This this would have the
added benefit of waterproofing the particleboard decking and be easier to
clean. *Unfortunately, in the last decade, we are getting significant
numbers of rentals with torn and ripped linoleum.

If they can destroy linoleum, they can probably destroy
anything else you put down. And linoleum is harder to
replace than carpet. But it easy to clean, waterproof,
and doesn't absorb odors, etc.




*Another part of me
wants to glue down some indoor/outdoor carpet.

Not only would that look like hell, if it's glued down it's
going to be much harder to change than regular carpet.



*So .... given that this
unit has poor, sometimes destructive tenants ..... what's the best long
wearing, indestructible flooring I can put down?

I'd go with a commercial or berber type carpet, ie one that
doesn't have a deep pile. If you replace it every 7 years or
so, is that so bad?

On Wed, 15 May 2013 12:24:39 +0000 (UTC), David Moore
wrote:

Hi All,

I'm working on a low-end, mobile home rental property. The water heater
sprang a leak sometime in the past and destroyed 100+ sq ft of particle
board flooring.

Ripping up the ancient carpeting reveals that the pad and carpet were the
originals and were installed on bare particle board. No previous
flooring was noted.

My natural tendency is to put down linoleum. This this would have the
added benefit of waterproofing the particleboard decking and be easier to
clean. Unfortunately, in the last decade, we are getting significant
numbers of rentals with torn and ripped linoleum. Another part of me
wants to glue down some indoor/outdoor carpet. So .... given that this
unit has poor, sometimes destructive tenants ..... what's the best long
wearing, indestructible flooring I can put down?

Steel plate? Like from a battleship being scrapped.


Although Trader has a point, and if the place looks bad, that may tend
to make the tenants treat it worse. And maybe not just the floor
which can take it (if it's steel plate) but the walls too.

On Wed, 15 May 2013 12:09:18 -0400, micky wrote:


Steel plate? Like from a battleship being scrapped.




Lol. I'd try it if I could. :-)

On 5/15/2013 8:24 AM, David Moore wrote:
Hi All,

I'm working on a low-end, mobile home rental property. The water heater
sprang a leak sometime in the past and destroyed 100+ sq ft of particle
board flooring.

Ripping up the ancient carpeting reveals that the pad and carpet were the
originals and were installed on bare particle board. No previous
flooring was noted.

My natural tendency is to put down linoleum. This this would have the
added benefit of waterproofing the particleboard decking and be easier to
clean. Unfortunately, in the last decade, we are getting significant
numbers of rentals with torn and ripped linoleum. Another part of me
wants to glue down some indoor/outdoor carpet. So .... given that this
unit has poor, sometimes destructive tenants ..... what's the best long
wearing, indestructible flooring I can put down?



I'm no expert, just experience with researching options and installing
tile. First, when laying carpet, one can install a waterproofing
membrane under it....it may cost more, but may be a good investment in
the longrun. I understand that plywood is much more durable and
resistant to moisture than particlejunk. Vinyl flooring isn't very
resistant to wear and tear, IMO. If your goal is to spend the minimum,
then you will get minimum quality. Low cost ceramic tile might even be
a good idea. Indoor/outdoor carpet, for poor folks, is a reasonable
consideration. And cheap.

I'm sure particle board has sound uses, but in areas subject to any
water damage (every bathroom and kitchen I have lived in), it is crap.

If it was me, I would nail down 3/8 fir underlayment no matter what you do.

That way, if the tenant decides for themselves to glue down some sort of flooring, you can always get it up by prying up the underlayment, no matter what kind of epoxy the tenant uses to glue their flooring down.

The strongest flexible flooring I know of is synthetic rubber flooring. 3/8 inch thick synthetic rubber flooring is the only flooring I know of that's used in skating rinks where people will be walking on it with skates on, and in Golf shops where people will be walking on it with spiked shoes.

Johnsonite is the biggest name in synthetic rubber flooring, and they have everything from cushioned synthetic rubber flooring (for softness, and in terrariums because lizards sense the approach of prey and predators by the vibrations they feel in the ground with their feet), safety flooring for installation in wet areas and around swimming pools, attractive rubber flooring for a weight lifting room, kids rumpus rooms, and super durable synthetic rubber flooring for commercial settings. The stuff is expensive, but it's super strong.

Johnsonite | Commercial Flooring | The Ultimate Flooring Experience

If it wuz me, I and I wanted something in a residential flooring instead of a commercial flooring, I would opt for a level loop solution dyed nylon carpet. Over 80 percent of the commercial carpet made in North America is made of nylon. For a full explanation of why I'd opt for that kind of carpet, use the Search tool at the top of the page to search for a post in this Home Repair forum entitled "Carpet or Hardwood flooring" posted by Gordon Shumway. Read my response to Gordon in that thread and you'll be an expert on solution dyed nylon carpet.

On Thu, 16 May 2013 00:45:03 +0200, nestork
wrote:


If it was me, I would nail down 3/8 fir underlayment no matter what you
do.

3/8" is pretty thick for that purpose. Typically 1/4" luan is the
normal underlayment, used to even up floors for vinyl flooring, and
such.

That way, if the tenant decides for themselves to glue down some sort of
flooring, you can always get it up by prying up the underlayment, no
matter what kind of epoxy the tenant uses to glue their flooring down.

The strongest flexible flooring I know of is synthetic rubber flooring.
3/8 inch thick synthetic rubber flooring is the only flooring I know of
that's used in skating rinks where people will be walking on it with
skates on, and in Golf shops where people will be walking on it with
spiked shoes.

Johnsonite is the biggest name in synthetic rubber flooring, and they
have everything from cushioned synthetic rubber flooring (for softness,
and in terrariums because lizards sense the approach of prey and
predators by the vibrations they feel in the ground with their feet),
safety flooring for installation in wet areas and around swimming pools,
attractive rubber flooring for a weight lifting room, kids rumpus rooms,
and super durable synthetic rubber flooring for commercial settings.
The stuff is expensive, but it's super strong.

'Johnsonite | Commercial Flooring | The Ultimate Flooring Experience'
(http://www.johnsonite.com)

If it wuz me, I and I wanted something in a residential flooring instead
of a commercial flooring, I would opt for a level loop solution dyed
nylon carpet. Over 80 percent of the commercial carpet made in North
America is made of nylon. For a full explanation of why I'd opt for
that kind of carpet, use the Search tool at the top of the page to
search for a post in this Home Repair forum entitled "Carpet or Hardwood
flooring" posted by Gordon Shumway. Read my response to Gordon in that
thread and you'll be an expert on solution dyed nylon carpet.

On May 15, 7:57*pm, wrote:
On Thu, 16 May 2013 00:45:03 +0200, nestork

wrote:

If it was me, I would nail down 3/8 fir underlayment no matter what you
do.

3/8" is pretty thick for that purpose. *Typically 1/4" luan is the
normal underlayment, used to even up floors for vinyl flooring, and
such.



That way, if the tenant decides for themselves to glue down some sort of
flooring, you can always get it up by prying up the underlayment, no
matter what kind of epoxy the tenant uses to glue their flooring down.

The strongest flexible flooring I know of is synthetic rubber flooring.
3/8 inch thick synthetic rubber flooring is the only flooring I know of
that's used in skating rinks where people will be walking on it with
skates on, and in Golf shops where people will be walking on it with
spiked shoes.

Johnsonite is the biggest name in synthetic rubber flooring, and they
have everything from cushioned synthetic rubber flooring (for softness,
and in terrariums because lizards sense the approach of prey and
predators by the vibrations they feel in the ground with their feet),
safety flooring for installation in wet areas and around swimming pools,
attractive rubber flooring for a weight lifting room, kids rumpus rooms,
and super durable synthetic rubber flooring for commercial settings.
The stuff is expensive, but it's super strong.

'Johnsonite | Commercial Flooring | The Ultimate Flooring Experience'
(http://www.johnsonite.com)

If it wuz me, I and I wanted something in a residential flooring instead
of a commercial flooring, I would opt for a level loop solution dyed
nylon carpet. *Over 80 percent of the commercial carpet made in North
America is made of nylon. *For a full explanation of why I'd opt for
that kind of carpet, use the Search tool at the top of the page to
search for a post in this Home Repair forum entitled "Carpet or Hardwood
flooring" posted by Gordon Shumway. *Read my response to Gordon in that
thread and you'll be an expert on solution dyed nylon carpet.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I would put down carpet squares, and have several spares handy if the
originals get really dirty/dmaged. Then you can use the spares while
the dirty squares are getting cleaned.

On Wed, 15 May 2013 12:24:39 +0000 (UTC), David Moore
wrote:

Hi All,

I'm working on a low-end, mobile home rental property. The water heater
sprang a leak sometime in the past and destroyed 100+ sq ft of particle
board flooring.

Ripping up the ancient carpeting reveals that the pad and carpet were the
originals and were installed on bare particle board. No previous
flooring was noted.

My natural tendency is to put down linoleum. This this would have the
added benefit of waterproofing the particleboard decking and be easier to
clean. Unfortunately, in the last decade, we are getting significant
numbers of rentals with torn and ripped linoleum. Another part of me
wants to glue down some indoor/outdoor carpet. So .... given that this
unit has poor, sometimes destructive tenants ..... what's the best long
wearing, indestructible flooring I can put down?

Sheet steel or aluminum diamond plate???

5/16 inch fir underlayment is very common up here in Canada. I didn't know if it was in the States or not because it's made in Canada by Riverside Forest Products in Riverside, Ontario.

The difference between "fir plywood" and "fir underlayment" is that plywood is allowed to have voids in the interior plies, whereas those are filled with water putty in underlayment because they could cause "soft spots" on the floor, where the flooring wouldn't have proper support.

I disagree with the recommendation to install carpet squares.

The whole idea behind carpet squares is that they're supposed to be moved around periodically so that they all receive the same amount of wear. The idea is that while a carpet will wear out only in the traffic lanes, with carpet squares you can rotate the squares just like you rotate your car tires to get uniform wear over the entire carpet. That might work OK where you have a large floor, like the show room of a car dealership. The problem in a residence is that the rooms are much smaller, and that makes carpet squares less appropriate because so many of the carpet squares are cut in unique ways to fit around corners or to fit up to walls and the toe kick on a cabinet. Rooms are seldom "symmetrical" around any axis, so the squares cut to fit up to a wall on one side of the room won't necessarily fit around the baseboard radiators or floor heating vents on the other side of the room. That is, the cut squares often can't be moved because the cuts are unique, so there's only one place that piece of cut carpet can go. You can really only rotate the full squares, and so carpet squares lend themselves more to large carpeted floors which are mostly full squares.

On 5/15/2013 7:51 PM, nestork wrote:
5/16 inch fir underlayment is very common up here in Canada. I didn't
know if it was in the States or not because it's made in Canada by
Riverside Forest Products in Riverside, Ontario.

The difference between "fir plywood" and "fir underlayment" is that
plywood is allowed to have voids in the interior plies, whereas those
are filled with water putty in underlayment because they could cause
"soft spots" on the floor, where the flooring wouldn't have proper
support.

I disagree with the recommendation to install carpet squares.

The whole idea behind carpet squares is that they're supposed to be
moved around periodically so that they all receive the same amount of
wear. The idea is that while a carpet will wear out only in the traffic
lanes, with carpet squares you can rotate the squares just like you
rotate your car tires to get uniform wear over the entire carpet. That
might work OK where you have a large floor, like the show room of a car
dealership. The problem in a residence is that the rooms are much
smaller, and that makes carpet squares less appropriate because so many
of the carpet squares are cut in unique ways to fit around corners or to
fit up to walls and the toe kick on a cabinet. Rooms are seldom
"symmetrical" around any axis, so the squares cut to fit up to a wall on
one side of the room won't necessarily fit around the baseboard
radiators or floor heating vents on the other side of the room. That
is, the cut squares often can't be moved because the cuts are unique, so
there's only one place that piece of cut carpet can go. You can really
only rotate the full squares, and so carpet squares lend themselves more
to large carpeted floors which are mostly full squares.

carpet squares in my office are glued down. they are never rotated or moved.

That negates much of the advantage that a carpet square floor has to offer.

I supposed that carpet squares still allow you to replaced damaged squares, but if they're glued down you're only going to be replacing the damaged square, and then only when it is damaged. And, having a brand new square on the floor is going to make the rest of the carpet squares look worse by comparison. I think it would be better to rotate the full squares periodically so that you get something more like uniform wear on all the squares; and therefore a much longer lasting carpet.

Apart from the fact that you CAN replace a damaged square, your carpet square floor won't last significanly longer than regular carpet. That's because ALL of the carpet squares are going to need replacement when the carpet squares in the traffic lanes are worn out. If that's the case, why not just install regular carpet then?

On Wed, 15 May 2013 17:19:21 -0400, Norminn
wrote:


I'm no expert, just experience with researching options and installing
tile. First, when laying carpet, one can install a waterproofing
membrane under it....it may cost more, but may be a good investment in
the longrun. I understand that plywood is much more durable and
resistant to moisture than particlejunk. Vinyl flooring isn't very
resistant to wear and tear, IMO.

Especially if you use chairs with wheels on them. They are like
rolling pins rolling out the pie crust dough. My vinyl floors were
doing just fine until I bought two of those chairs.

If your goal is to spend the minimum,
then you will get minimum quality. Low cost ceramic tile might even be
a good idea. Indoor/outdoor carpet, for poor folks, is a reasonable
consideration. And cheap.

I'm sure particle board has sound uses, but in areas subject to any
water damage (every bathroom and kitchen I have lived in), it is crap.

On Wednesday, May 15, 2013 10:51:46 PM UTC-4, nestork wrote:
I disagree with the recommendation to install carpet squares.

Me too, for completely different reasons though. Never heard of "rotating" carpet squares for even wear...

My problem is that if you can remove the squares easily, a tenant can remove them easily...

I think every tenant would understand that by stealing the landlord's carpet squares, it's not just "damage" to be dealt with in small claims court, it's outright theft, and that the landlord can phone the police and tell them the name, (and most often the new address), social insurance number, driver's licence number, make and model of vehicle, date of birth, cell phone number and place of employment of the person who stole the carpet squares. You gather all that information about the tenant on his application for rent form and subsequent other rental forms.
The tenant would get himself a criminal record for nothing.

Besides, a tenant can remove curtains easily too, but in my 25 years, I've never had a tenant try to steal the curtains in his apartment. I guess they realized that I'd notice that the curtains were missing.

On May 16, 1:49*pm, nestork wrote:
'chaniarts[_3_ Wrote:

;3063083']
carpet squares in my office are glued down. they are never rotated or
moved.

That negates much of the advantage that a carpet square floor has to
offer.

I supposed that carpet squares still allow you to replaced damaged
squares, but if they're glued down you're only going to be replacing the
damaged square, and then only when it is damaged. *And, having a brand
new square on the floor is going to make the rest of the carpet squares
look worse by comparison. *I think it would be better to rotate the full
squares periodically so that you get something more like uniform wear on
all the squares; and therefore a much longer lasting carpet.

Apart from the fact that you CAN replace a damaged square, your carpet
square floor won't last significanly longer than regular carpet. *That's
because ALL of the carpet squares are going to need replacement when the
carpet squares in the traffic lanes are worn out. *If that's the case,
why not just install regular carpet then?

--
nestork

I said to have some extras so you can rotate through the dirty squares
and get them cleaned.